Accident Details
On 8 February 2022 at 0800Z, a Cessna A188B aircraft registered ZS-JDH was engaged in aerial work operations (crop spraying) under Part 137. The pilot, the sole occupant, sustained one injury and no fatalities. The aircraft was destroyed. The flight originated from Barland Airfield and was intended to return there. The accident occurred 1.1 nautical miles south-east of Howick Airfield (FAHC), KwaZulu-Natal Province, in visual meteorological conditions by day.
Sequence of Events
The pilot had completed spraying fields 1 and 2 and was descending to spray field 3. He assessed a south-easterly spray direction as hazardous due to an uphill slope, so he climbed to approximately 150 feet above ground level for a south-westerly direction. During a left turn while resetting the agricultural navigation computer, the pilot did not notice a blue gum tree 15 metres ahead. The left wing struck the tree, causing the aircraft to roll left and pitch down. Despite applying full right rudder and back pressure, the pilot lost control. The aircraft descended and impacted a maize field (field 4) about 200 metres from the tree, skidded for approximately 40 metres, turned 180°, and came to rest. The pilot switched off both magnetos and the master switch, then disembarked unaided. He later retrieved documents and first aid kit from the wreckage. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces; no post-impact fire occurred. The pilot sustained a laceration on his left elbow and was taken to hospital, where he was treated and discharged.
Probable Cause
The probable cause determined by the investigation was that the pilot did not observe a tree in the aircraft’s flight path, causing the left wing to impact the tree. The pilot lost control, and the aircraft descended and impacted the ground.